The present invention is directed to a culinary product with creaming power that exhibits high stability when subject to industrial and/or home freezing/thawing and/or heating processes. The invention is also directed to the process for manufacturing the culinary product.
EP 0173646 describes a thickening food product provided in a form that can be divided into portions in the sterilized state. The process for manufacturing the product involves preparing a roux by sterilizing a mixture of fat and starchy product, wherein the starch is not pregelatinized, and then homogenizing the roux with a sufficient quantity of sterile water.
EP 832566 describes a sauce based on cheese and starch and a process to manufacture the sauce. In the process the ingredients are homogenized at a temperature less than the temperature for gelatinization of starch.
JP 63007757 describes a method for manufacturing a creamy emulsion having good heat resistance. The emulsion contains an emulsifier and a freezing agent.
GB 2220125 describes a deep-frozen creamy product consisting of a starch-containing aqueous phase and a dispersed fatty phase. The product contains at least one freezing point depressant and one water activity depressant and the size of the fat particles is set at a maximum of 10 microns.
JP 63267250 describes a process for manufacturing a sauce by high pressure homogenization of a mixture containing starch and fat but requiring emulsifiers to confer good stability on the product.
WO 9848639 describes a method of reducing calories and/or fat in a food product by applying a sudden and brutal variation in pressure to the food product. The aim and result of the process are different and far removed from the production of a creamy product.
WO 9831240 describes a process for preparing a texturing agent composed of a mixture of starch, water, and protein. The mixture is heated to gelatinize the starch and at least partially denature the proteins. The resulting mixture is then subjected to a mechanical treatment to reduce the size of the particles. The process does not use fat and does not involve an emulsion. Indeed, it is a problem to ensure the stability of mixtures when they include fat.
Until now, creamy and/or unctuous food/culinary products of the sauce or cream type were obtained using flavoring and texturing ingredients such as butter, creme fraiche, eggs, cheese and the like. The use of such ingredients results in sauces that have a rich and unctuous texture and a high fat content. The production cost of the ingredients, however, is high. Moreover nutritional considerations have made it desirable to try and reduce the amount of fat by replacing it, in part, with substitutes such as modified starches and other hydrocolloids that have organoleptic properties similar to fat. Moreover, emulsifiers are often added in order to facilitate the emulsification of oil-in-water or water-in-oil type sauces and to confer increased stability on them.
Furthermore, during various industrial and/or home technological treatments such as freezing, thawing, and heating, traditional products (i.e., those with a high content of fat of the butter and/or cream type) do not have sufficient stability and syneresis, precipitation, and aggregation can occur which are not acceptable to consumers who use the products. Accordingly, by reducing in the quantity and quality of the fat, using modified starches, and, in particular, using dietary emulsifiers and surfactants it is possible to partially remedy such defects.
The invention relates to a process for manufacturing a food product with creaming power. The process involves combining pregelatinized starch, fat, water and vegetable or animal pulp without added emulsifiers to provide a mixture; and subjecting the mixture to at least one high-shearing mechanical treatment at a homogenization pressure of about 150 to 600 bar to provide a food product having a fluid and unctuous texture.
The starch may be a modified starch and the process may further include freezing the food product. The freezing may be conducted simultaneously with the high-shearing mechanical treatment or after the high-shearing mechanical treatment.
The fat may be present in an amount of about 1 to 25 percent by weight, the pregelatinized starch in an amount of about 2.5 to 14 percent by weight, and the vegetable or animal pulp in an amount of up to about 55 percent weight. The process may further include the step of adding to the mixture one or more of non-fat milk solids in an amount up to about 10 percent by weight, egg white or yolk solids in an amount up to about 5 percent by weight, or cheese in an amount up to about 40% by weight or one or more of proteins in an amount up to about 20 percent by weight, fibers in an amount up to about 10 percent by weight, or minerals in an amount of up to about 2 percent by weight. The protein may be one or more of caseins, serum proteins, proteins of leguminous plants, or plant protein isolates and the fibers may be one or more of inulin, oligofructose, or vegetable meal.
The water contained in the food product may be added in a first amount before the high-shearing mechanical treatment and in a second amount after the high-shearing mechanical treatment. All or part of the water may be replaced with one or more other aqueous based fluids.
The fat may be one or more of groundnut oil, sunflower oil, olive oil, palm oil, butter oil, butter, or margarine and the starch may be one or more starches obtained from wheat, maize, potato, yam, cassava, or rice. The plant pulp may be obtained from one or more of carrots, onions, tomatoes, green beans, sweet peppers, mushrooms, maize seeds, cabbage, broad beans, apples, pears, grain, nuts, or hazelnuts and the animal pulp may be obtained from one or more of beef, lamb, pork, ham, chicken, anchovy, salmon, or sardine.
The invention further relates to a food product prepared according to the method of the invention. The food product may have a degree of overrun of about 40 to 120 percent.
The present invention provides a process for manufacturing a culinary or food product with creaming power using inexpensive basic ingredients such as oil, vegetable or animal pulp, starch, and water, whose fat content is reduced compared with similar standard products. The food product of the invention exhibits improved stability to freezing/thawing and/or heating and the product does not include emulsifying agents and/or other emulsion stabilizers.
The phrase xe2x80x9cimproved stability to freezing/thawing and/or heating,xe2x80x9d as used herein means that there is no texture modification and that the emulsion is stable after several freezing/thawing cycles or heating/cooling cycles.
The phrase xe2x80x9cemulsifying agents and/or other emulsion stabilizers,xe2x80x9d as used herein means any material that can be added to a mixture of two immiscible liquids to form a stable dispersion of the one liquid in the second immiscible liquid. Representative emulsifiers include, for example, mono and diglycerides and fatty acids esters.
The phrase xe2x80x9ccreaming power,xe2x80x9d as used herein means that the product shows a texture, thickness, and, in particular, mouthfeel, similar to a product containing fat in an amount of about 40 to 50 percent and, in particular, when the fat is in the form of one or more of butter, cream, egg, or cheese. Typically, with the culinary product of the invention this creaming power can be obtained with a fat or oil content as low as about 5 to 6 percent.
The process for manufacturing a culinary product with creaming power involves subjecting a mixture of pregelatinized and/or swollen starch, vegetable or animal pulp, fat, and water to at least one high-shearing mechanical treatment until an unctuous and creamy texture is obtained. The product of the invention is a homogeneous matrix without any visible or mouth-perceptible particles; the fat is perfectly emulsified and stabilized by the pregelatinized starch and fibere resulting from vegetable or animal pulp (in particular vegetable pulp obtained from ground vegetables). The matrix and viscosity are similar to those obtained using classical culinary ingredients such as cream and butter. Products containing classical culinary ingredients such as cream and butter, however, are very sensitive to heat and very unstable upon industrial and domestic treatments such as heating, cooling, reheating, microwaving, and the like.
The phrase xe2x80x9chigh shearing mechanical treatment,xe2x80x9d as used herein means treatment that subjects the mixture to shearing, i.e., stress resulting from dynamic forces such as high spin and high pressure created by mechanical action, at a homogenization pressure of between about 150 and 600 bar.
The xe2x80x9cphrase pregelatinized starch,xe2x80x9d as used herein means starch that has been preheated in an aqueous medium and dried so that it will form a gel upon rehydration in cold water.
The phrase xe2x80x9cswollen starch,xe2x80x9d as used herein means starch granules that have been swollen by water infiltration or penetration so that the granule is sensitive to mechanical treatment.
The invention also relates to a culinary product with creaming power obtained by the process of the invention. Typically, the food product comprises about 1 to 25% fat, preferably about 5 to 10% fat, and more preferably about 6 to 8% fat; about 2.5 to 14% starch, preferably about 3 to 12% starch, and more preferably about 4 to 9% starch; and up to about 55% vegetable or animal pulp, preferably up to about 50% vegetable or animal pulp, and more preferably up to about 45% vegetable or animal pulp.
The culinary product as defined above, may be in a frozen state. When the culinary product is frozen, the pregelatinized and/or swollen starch used for its preparation is a modified starch.
The term xe2x80x9cmodified starch,xe2x80x9d as used herein means a cross-linked and/or stabilized starch. The phrase xe2x80x9ccross-linked starch,xe2x80x9d as used herein means that the lateral chains of starch polymer are linked together with a chemical cross linking agent. The term xe2x80x9cstabilized starch,xe2x80x9d as used herein means that the starch is less sensitive to retrogradation.
In the process of the invention, it is possible to prepare the vegetable or animal pulp/water/oil/starch mixture and to treat it at a temperature of about 80xc2x0 C. to 120xc2x0 C., preferably about 90xc2x0 C. to 110xc2x0 C., and most preferably for about 95xc2x0 C. to 105xc2x0 C. for a sufficient time, i.e., about 30 seconds to 10 minutes, preferably about 45 seconds to 7 minutes, and more preferably about 1 to 5 minutes, in order to gelatinize the starch and then to apply to this mixture the high-shearing treatment. It is also possible to use a dehydrated pregelatinized starch. When dehydrated pregelatinized starch is used the four basic ingredients (water, oil, starch, vegetable and/or animal pulp) are mixed at room temperature for a sufficient time to allow the dehydrated starch to swell and regain the water lost during the dehydration.
The shearing has a substantial impact of on the denaturation of the starch gel. The more intense the shearing, the greater the loss of viscosity of the treated mixture. The final texture of the product depends on the intensity of the shearing that is applied. Therefore, it is possible to pass from a pasty, thick, and sticky product to a fluid and creamy product having a particularly unctuous mouth feel by varying the intensity of the shearing. Typically, pressure is used for shearing (i.e., a homogenizer) and the pressure is instantaneously applied; the shearing intensity is then varied by varying the applied pressure (i.e., from about 150 to 600 bars). For example, with an intermediate shearing intensity, it is possible to obtain a gummy product which is more or less supple and plastic that resembles cheese.
It is also possible to add only a portion of the water expected in the final product before the high-shearing treatment and to then add the remaining water after the high-shearing treatment so as to adjust the viscosity to a desired value. For example the initial amount of water may be about 2 to 15 percent, preferably from about 5 to 10 percent. The final product may contain more than about 20 percent water, preferably more than about 30 percent water. The final product may contain, for example, from about 20 to 90 percent water, preferably about 35 to 80 percent water, more preferably about 30 to 70 percent water.
The fat may be any dietary animal or vegetable oil including, but not limited to, a groundnut, sunflower, olive, palm, or butter oil; a fat which is solid but malleable at room temperature such as, for example, butter or margarine; or mixtures thereof. One of ordinary skill in the art will readily recognize fats that can be used in the process of the invention.
The starch may be obtained from any dietary starchy material. Preferably, the starch is obtained from a cereal such as wheat or maize; a tuber vegetable such as potato, yam, or cassava; or rice. One of ordinary skill in the art will readily recognize starches that can be used in the process of the invention.
The pregelatinized starch may be a native or chemically or physically modified starch which has been pregelatinized or precooked and/or swollen in boiling water before being added to the composition of the final product. It is also possible to use a native or chemically or physically modified starch which has been subjected to pregelatinization or precooking followed by dehydration.
The phrase xe2x80x9cchemically or physically modified starch,xe2x80x9d as used herein means starch that has been modified by cross linking or by the addition of functional chemical groups (chemically modified) or starch that has been heat and/or pressure treated in order to improve hydration (physically modified).
The product according to the invention comprises, in weight percent about 1 to 25% fat, about 2.5 to 14% starch, with the water content being adjusted accordingly. The product may further comprise, as a percent of the total weight, up to about 10% of non-fat milk solids, up to about 55% of vegetable or animal pulp, and up to about 5% of egg white or yolk. The product may also contain other ingredients such as spices, salt, or sugar for example. One of ordinary skill in the art may readily determined the amounts of these other ingredients without undue experimentation.
The product of the invention may also be supplemented with proteins of animal and/or plant origin, soluble and/or insoluble fibers, or minerals to provide a creamy, velvety product that is a more nutritious product. The proteins may be added in the form of caseins, serum proteins, proteins of leguminous plants, or plant protein isolates, for example. The fibres may be provided directly by addition of inulin and/or of oligofructose, for example, or indirectly by the addition of vegetable meal such as lupin meal, for example. The quantity of added proteins may be up to about 20% of the total weight. The quantity of added fibers may be up to about 10% of the total weight and the quantity of added minerals may be up to about 2% of the total weight.
The process of the invention involves intimately mixing the basic ingredients of water, vegetable and/or animal pulp, fat, and pregelatinized starch to form a thick, compact, very viscous mass. The viscosity of the mixture of basic ingredients is close to that of a thick pudding dough and is typically too viscous to accurately determine the viscosity with a viscosity measuring device. This mixture is then subjected to high-shear treatment corresponding to a homogenization pressure of from about 150 to 600 bar. The viscosity of the mixture after high shear is typically about 1000 to 4000 cPs, preferably about 1500 to 3500 cPs, and most preferably about 2000 to 3000 cPs. The high-shear treatment may be obtained, for example, by using a twin screw extruder of the BC 21 type (commercially available from Clextral Inc. of Tampa, Fla.), a piston homogenizer (commercially available from APV Consolidated Inc of Des Plaines, Ill.), a high-pressure homogenizer of the ALM type (commercially available from Pierre Guerin SA of France) or any other similar equipment that is capable of applying a homogenization pressure that corresponds to a level of from about 150 to 600 bar.
The addition of vegetable or animal pulp makes it possible to obtain products with a rich texture that also have pleasant colors. The colors can be varied by varying the quantity and type of the vegetable or animal pulp that is used. Plant pulp that may be used in the process of the invention includes, but is not limited to, carrots, onions, tomatoes, green beans, sweet peppers, mushrooms, maize seeds, cabbage, broad beans, apples, pears, grain, nuts, hazelnuts, and the like. Animal pulp that may be used in the process of the invention includes, but is not limited to, finely minced or ground meat such as beef, lamb, pork, ham, chicken, and the like or finely minced or ground fish such as anchovy, salmon, and sardine.
The high-shearing mechanical treatment applied to a water/oil/pregelatinized starch/vegetable and/or animal pulp mixture modifies not only the texture of the mixture by converting it to a creamy and unctuous sauce, but also modifies the color. For example, when carrot pulp is used, the initial product has a typical xe2x80x9ccarrot orangexe2x80x9d color that is converted to a yellow/pinkish sauce after high-shearing treatment. It is also surprising to note that the final product has lost the typical carrot taste. Accordingly, a wide range of colors may be obtained in the final product depending on the vegetable used and the oil/vegetable ratio that is chosen. Milk may also be added in order to modify the texture and color and to provide additional sweetness in the mouth, for example. Accordingly, apart from the unctuous and creamy texture acquired by means of the high-shearing process, a range of colors can be obtained such that it is possible to mix sauces of different colors to provide a sauce of a desired color without affecting the taste and/or the flavor of the sauce. Thus, it is possible to prepare sauces having a range of colors that can then be combined to create sauces having a practically unlimited range of colors. Indeed, the process of the invention, surprisingly, makes it possible to eliminate the taste of some of the ingredients used. Thus, it is possible to develop, regardless of the basic ingredients used, a base which is neutral from the taste point of view but whose color is defined by virtue of the choice of vegetable pulp and oil/vegetable pulp ratio. The base can then be flavored as desired.
Furthermore, it has been observed that the shearing effect is increased when the mixture is concentrated. Thus, it is advantageous to subject a concentrated mixture, i.e., a mixture wherein no additional water is added and the water is provided only by vegetable or animal pulp, to high shearing and to then adjust the viscosity of the sheared product to a desired value by means of a liquid such as water, wine, vinegar, or any other aqueous fluid. The phrase xe2x80x9caqueous fluidxe2x80x9d as used herein means any fluid that has water as the major component.
The high-shearing mechanical treatment has several effects on the ingredients that effects the final texture of the product including: (a) a micro-grinding effect (in particular with the use of vegetable and/or animal pulp), (b) a high-shearing effect which causes the destruction of the starch granules and of the structure of the gel, and (c) a homogenization effect.
A particularly advantageous variation of the process of the invention involves subjecting the product to the high-shearing mechanical treatment at a freezing temperature so as to freeze the product at the same time as it is textured. Typically the freezing temperature is from about xe2x88x925xc2x0 C. to xe2x88x9220xc2x0 C., preferably about xe2x88x923xc2x0 C. to xe2x88x9218xc2x0 C., and most preferably about xe2x88x926xc2x0 C. to xe2x88x9210xc2x0 C. The vegetable and/or animal pulp/water/oil/pregelatinized modified starch mixture may be treated, for example, with a homogenizing apparatus having high shearing power, such as a twin-screw extruder, that is cooled by means of a cooling fluid circulating in an external envelope. The cooling fluid may be, for example, alcohol at xe2x88x9240xc2x0 C. By treating the mixture at a freezing temperature, the product, under the combined effect of low temperature and the severe mixing/shearing during the transport inside the cylinder, changes to a product having a firm but malleable texture, that is easy to mold, whose temperature is of the order of about xe2x88x922xc2x0 C. to xe2x88x9210xc2x0 C.
When manufacturing a creamy product that is frozen or which is intended to be frozen, the use of a cross-linked and/or stabilized starch is necessary in order to confer heat stability on the finished product and to avoid retrogradation, syneresis, and/or precipitation during the freezing/thawing and/or heating stages that the product will be subjected to. The term xe2x80x9cretrogadation,xe2x80x9d as used herein, means the formation of an heterogeneous gel over time. The term xe2x80x9csyneresis,xe2x80x9d as used herein, means expulsion of water and/or oil from the gel. The term xe2x80x9cprecipitation,xe2x80x9d as used herein, means the formation and appearance of solid particles. The freezing may be carried out concomitantly with the high-shearing treatment. Alternatively the freezing may be carried out after the high-shearing treatment by placing in series a device capable of ensuring a homogenization pressure greater than 150 bar followed by device capable of freezing the product.
Surprisingly, it is possible to obtain a creamy and unctuous texture with stabilized and/or cross-linked starches. Indeed, this type of additive is typically intended to confer firmness and a gelled texture to a product to which it is added. It appears, however, that the high-shearing mechanical treatment disorganizes the stabilized network so as to bring about fluidization of the product while still retaining a high stability with respect to retrogradation.
It is advantageous to be able to use large quantities of starch (i.e., up to 14%) as a replacement for expensive ingredients such as butter, eggs, cream, and the like and which are unusable in standard recipes and processes for the manufacture of sauces.